Black and White
by Alpha Pegasi
Summary: Carson Beckett sees his worst fears about his possession of the Ancients gene come true.
1. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Black and White

By Alpha Pegasi

Chapter One

Own nothing of this and only playing with it for pleasure.

Rated for language and Carson Whumpage

AN: My first Atlantis fic. I have only seen a couple of episodes so probably full of canon and fanon errors. Corrections and criticism most welcome.

Set in Season Two between Duet and Trinity.

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"Oh No. _No_! Absolutely not."

"Carson …?"

"Ah'm sorry Dr Weir, I know it's a wee bit busy at the moment and you've got every possible team going through the 'gates but…"

"It's the first time the infirmary has been empty for six weeks and there's a pile of research that you need to get done …I know!"

"Research that you yerself have been nagging me about."

"Carson, this is different …it's special, they have asked for you!"

Dr Carson Beckett was forced to halt his tirade and draw a breath. This earned him a slight smile from Dr Elizabeth Weir, who was seated on the other side of the desk, across which he had been glaring. Having caught his attention, she continued.

"It's M9787 – a fertile planet, lush with vegetation – a sparse population, but it has not been predated by the Wraith for decades. The Gulathais have maintained traditions and customs dating back to the time of the Ancients. They say that there was an Ancient "temple" on the planet once. It was apparently destroyed in a volcanic eruption several centuries ago. But they have kept the plant lore from the Ancients time – it should tie in with the data base – you will be able to match medical data against the derivative plants."

"Lovely. I am interested, but let a trading team fetch some samples and I'll pop them into my piled up in-tray...no problem." Carson allowed himself to settle in a chair as Elizabeth waved him down.

"It's not that simple. The Gulathais have been very friendly and delighted to discover about the existence of Atlantis. They wish to make a gift of their medicinal plants to us. But they want a formal ceremony of passing their sacred knowledge to the City of the Ancients, attended by the highest-ranking medical officer. Yourself, Dr Beckett!"

"No Wraith?" The shine in Beckett's blue eyes told Elizabeth that the lure of the medicinal knowledge had been successful.

"No Wraith, no large predators, a temperate climate and no volcanic activity in the recent past. You will only need a small team - a xeno-biologist and a couple of members of security, and you will back behind your desk by this time tomorrow. And I promise plenty of research time."

Beckett reluctantly nodded. After all, what could possibly go wrong?


	2. A Village of Deceit

Black and White.

By Alpha Pegasi

AN: Wow! I wasn't expecting any reviews for 400+ words where nothing happens. What a nice fandom you are! It kicks off here.

Chapter Two.

As they neared the village, more children came running to meet them. They had already met a couple in the company of their elders waiting by the Stargate – their enthusiasm infectious. The main village lay several hours journey from the 'gate, down a narrow track bordered by lush jungle vegetation, but the excitement of their new companions had made the journey seem shorter.

The Gulathais were a small people, narrow faces lit by sparkling brown eyes in coffee coloured skin. They seemed most taken with Petersen – the mahogany skin of the tall security officer something new to them. The children kept darting forward to shyly stroke his arm.

Carson wiped the sweat of a walk in tropical forest from his brow and adjusted one of the garlands of flowers, which had been formally placed around his neck as he came through the Stargate, in an attempt to remove a slight itch. He was amused to see that the biologist Alice Carstairs already had her hands full of leaves, grabbed from the bushes that they had been passing. She was asking the names of each plant from Tygosi, the leader of these people who had welcomed them at the gate.

The fourth member of their little team walked at the back of the party. Heinrik was happy to explain details of his weapons to the elders walking alongside him, while keeping a guarded look out.

But, Carson thought happily, there really was no need. Everything was as Elizabeth had described – the Gulathais seemingly delighted to welcome Beckett to their home to receive their greatest treasure.

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There were children all around him now, they were laughing and chattering as they entered the village made of beautifully crafted huts.

They were taken to what Carson assumed must be the centre of the settlement and which Tygosi called The Place of Greeting. It had been decorated with garlands of flowers and vegetation, hung from poles, and the front of the huts themselves. People were gathering to meet them. Petersen scanned the crowd and noticed something a little off. He beckoned to Carson.

"Dr Beckett, I've noticed that the crowd is mostly children and old people. There's a lack of young adults, both male and female – that's pretty typical of a wraith predated culture."

Tygosi stood near enough to have overheard this and he quickly approached the Atlantis party and bowed his head slightly.

"Please forgive us – we meant no disrespect but it is the time of the Elevos migration – their meat and hides are vital to us. Our best hunters and food preservers are away deep in the forest to capture this bounty. It is a pity that your visit could not be made in a couple of week's time for the meat is a tender delicacy. Perhaps we might trade?

"But for now welcome to our village. You are invited to use my home to rest and prepare yourself for the ceremony. Your guards are most welcome to stand with mine – it is respectful."

"Thank you, Tygosi. It is a great pleasure and honour to be made so welcome." Carson smiled at the old chief and followed Alice into the main hut, where they found sleeping pallets, flasks of cool water and bowls of fruit laid out for them.

In his curtained alcove he took a moment to have a refreshing wash from a beautifully carved wooden basin, and pulled a fresh shirt from his pack. He stepped out into the main part of the hut where Alice Carstairs poured a drink for him.

"Have you noticed," she said, biting her lip slightly, "that it has gone quiet?"

He had not but the bustle of noise that had been heard clearly within the hut from outside had died away.

"Well they obviously take this as a serious ceremony, lass," murmured Beckett.

They looked expectantly towards the door of the hut, as it swung open. Tygosi stepped into the room. He was wearing a heavy ceremonial robe; his attention was focused on Beckett. He held a short dark coloured staff between his two hands as he approached him.

"Please, place your hand upon the staff." The elderly leader spoke in a whisper.

Carson reached out and touched the "stick". It lit up immediately, blue flickering lights moving up and down the length of the device. Carson gazed in wonder – it must be an Ancient artefact brought to life by being touched by someone who possessed the Ancient gene. He looked up from the glowing staff to smile at Tygosi.

But to his shock the leader of the Gulathais had a look of utmost sorrow on his face. "I am sorry, so very sorry," he murmured.

At that moment, there was a clear shout from Petersen outside the hut, followed by the sound of a weapon discharging. Beckett leapt for his pack where it lay in the alcove and turned back to the door, a 9-mm pistol gripped tightly in his hand. Silhouetted in the doorway of the hut stood a Wraith cradling a stunner. Carson fired again and again but the Wraith seemed unaffected. It fired its weapon – he felt the charge of the stunner hit him full in the chest and then there was only darkness.


	3. Captured By The Wraith

Black and White

By Alpha Pegasi

Chapter Three

AN: I'm sure that two Wraith would communicate telepathically and just exchange meaningful glances but that is no good to a fic. writer so _my_ Wraith are chatty!

Thanks for the great reviews! I should let you know that I am a Queen of Cliffies but should be updating this story every four days or so.

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Dr Carson Beckett slowly opened his eyes. His head felt thick and heavy. The lingering effects of the stunner showed themselves in aches in his joints and numbness in his limbs. He was lying on his back, on a low table, in a dimly lit chamber. It definitely wasn't a native hut but looked like Ancient work.

A spike of fear and adrenaline shot through him as he remembered how he had come to be there, and also as he realised that there was a bandage around his neck. Had he survived having his neck slashed by a Wraith – had it fed on him? He felt his neck urgently, his fingers feeling no wound but Carson was horrified to find something hard and metallic was now imbedded at the base of his skull. It wasn't causing him pain, the skin was numb, but it would only be a matter of time.

The bandages were damp – blood tinged the fingers that he brought before his gaze – so it had been done recently and quite crudely, but what was its purpose? And what had happened to the others? He was completely alone in the chamber.

He froze as an unseen door in the wall of the chamber suddenly opened and two Wraith stepped into the room. They grinned at him. Carson's instinct to flee or fight had no outlet – his body would not respond to this horror.

The taller of the two Wraith approached the table. He was holding a device with which he scanned Beckett.

"You see," he hissed, "everything goes as planned. This Human has the sequence – the scans of the City that I saw were correct."

The other drew back its teeth in a snarl. "We should feed – this is a waste."

The leader fisted his taloned hands into the front of the smaller Wraith's uniform.

"Control your hunger, you have already fed today. Now is the time for _revenge_ – and then we feed!" He dropped the other who fell back gasping and hissing and then turned to the table where he seized Beckett roughly into a sitting position.

Carson closed his eyes in terror. This was it – the moment of his death. The fear that stalked members of the Atlantis team, that left many of them gasping awake in sweaty dread in the middle of the night was upon him. Too many times he had seen what happened when the Wraith fed.

But the fingers were touching the back of his neck, removing the bandage and examining the device that had been placed there. The Wraith released him and stepped back with a grunt of satisfaction.

"Bring him, it is time."

The other, with a sibilant hiss, pulled Beckett from the table. Carson's legs buckled beneath him, but there was an iron grip on his arms that held him upright, and he was dragged out of the chamber. They were in a corridor – it was definitely of Ancient work but the walls were dull, powerless. Carson's thoughts were a jumbled whirl – what was happening? This did not match any pattern of behaviour that he had previously encountered with the Wraith. Why wasn't he dead – were the others possibly alive too?

The little party reached a larger chamber. Carson was vaguely aware that there were other Wraith there – four or five of them but the lighting was dim, it was hard to see clearly. He was being taken to the centre of the chamber where there was a circular platform …and a Chair!

The Chair might have resembled the ones in Atlantis once but it was dull and looked damaged. A mesh of wires also surrounded it. Their purpose became clear as Carson was pushed down into the Chair. As it came to life, he found metal straps were being fastened round his wrists, legs and neck. Sitting in _this _Chair was not going to be a voluntary exercise. As his forehead was strapped back against the headboard, Carson felt the tingle of power as the Chair responded to his presence and the chamber began to glow around him, as panels and controls sprang into life. The leader of the Wraith gave a howl of triumph but Carson only felt a dreadful foreboding.


	4. Mystery And Suspicion

Black and White: Chapter Four.

Disclaimers as per previous chapters.

AN: Slight revision 181205. Happy to oblige.

The Stargate shimmered in beautiful aquamarine, and then suddenly parted to disgorge a Puddle Jumper, that settled quickly onto the meadow area by the 'gate. The rear hatch swung down and Sheppard's team moved swiftly out, assuming a fan formation, crouched, with guns pointing to cover every approach. A movement under the branches of a nearby tree brought every weapon to bear on that location. An elderly Gulathais moved away from the group that were squatting there and came towards them, his hands held out in supplication. Sheppard waved down his team's weapons, though Ronon and Teyla immediately moved away to check out the clearing and the other villagers under the trees.

"My sorrow is profound," began the elder as he reached Sheppard. The leader "Tygosi", John remembered from the briefing. "There was a Dart."

"What … a Dart, A Wraith Dart? How the hell – you told us the Wraith had not been here for generations!"

"That is so." Tygosi murmured, his eyes not meeting that of Sheppard. "But one came when we were gathered in the Place of Greeting for the ceremony. There was a beam and … your people were gone."

"Gone…? Taken by the Wraith?" _Beckett, Petersen, Heinrik, Carstairs – gone? _

His mind reeled – of course all sorts of scenarios had been thought of when the team had not reported back after the allotted time of the ceremony, but Sheppard had really been expecting to be amused by a slightly tipsy Beckett overstaying a generous welcome. In fact Rodney Mckay had flatly refused to go on a retrieval mission, stating that it was "just fine" for some members of Atlantis base to go off on a pleasure jaunt when "others" were working their backsides off and that the good Doctor would have to cure his own hangover.

None of them had imagined this – not the loss of their CMO to the Wraith.

"Show me." His voice grated harshly, burying the other emotions that were building within him. "I need to see everything!"

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The Place of Greeting was a shambles; garlands of flowers lay strewn in the dust. Benches were overturned and shards of pottery crunched under foot. Sheppard followed Tygosi as he indicated where everyone had been standing when the Dart had come. He was the only villager standing with Sheppard's party in the open. Frightened faces peering around doorways revealed the whereabouts of the other Gulathais.

"Its approach was amazingly tight and accurate," Sheppard mused to Teyla. "Tygosi says that several of his people went as well but I'm surprised that none of the team managed to escape!"

Teyla had said nothing – she had been checking everything in the surrounding area in an extreme state of alertness. John would have almost said she was a bit "twitchy", not a word he would ever normally associate with her.

Ronon Dex was even more puzzling – he seemed to be concentrating on Tygosi and the other villagers rather than checking the area. There was a grunt as Ronon straightened up from where he had been examining a heap of smashed utensils on the floor. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Teyla, and Sheppard had had enough.

"Right – what is it? You two are skittering around like a pair of cats on hot ash."

"Not here," Ronon murmured. "We need to return to the 'jumper."

A few minutes walk brought them to where the Puddle Jumper had now been parked near to the village. As soon as the hatch door swung closed, Sheppard immediately spun to face Ronon.

"Ok, we can't be overheard. What is bugging you?"

"They are lying." "The Gulathais?"

"Yes. These people have no "distance" communication and so have learnt the art of dissembling in a face-to-face meeting when there is something that needs to be hidden. But I can read their body language – they are not telling the truth, they are in fear."

"Of course they are in fear, the Wraith have just come to the village for the first time in years!"

"It is not fear of the Wraith, It is fear of _us_."

"Teyla?" Sheppard turned to where the warrior was nodding her agreement at Ronon's words. "Do you feel the same?"

"Yes and more," she replied. "The Wraith are here. I can sense them."

"Well, yes, the Wraith may still be in this region of space," mused John.

"No! It is more than that – they are _here_, on this planet."

Teyla's voice carried complete conviction_. Damn_, thought Sheppard.


	5. The Weapon

Black and White: Chapter five

Disclaimers as per previous chapters.

The "Control Chamber" was a hive of activity, with the half dozen Wraith moving purposefully between each of the myriad panels as they burst into life.

Carson Beckett was breathing in quick and shallow gasps. He hated the sensation of the alien power thrumming within his body; of being linked to a piece of technology whose function he did not know. He kept willing himself to breathe more slowly, to overcome the feelings of panic that were threatening to overwhelm him. He _knew_ that he could not simply jump from the Chair and sever the connection but that did not stop a subconscious urge to push against the binding straps, even though he could feel them cutting into his skin. He had no idea of how long he had been trapped in this nightmare, whether anyone in Atlantis was aware of what had happened or where he was. The room he was in had none of the airy feel of the Atlantis base. If anything he would have thought that he was deep underground.

The Wraith leader approached the Chair, his face twisted in a vicious smile.

"It could not be better Hu-man. The weapon is coming online exactly as required and now I am going to give you a most desirable gift. You can destroy a Wraith Hive ship, as it comes into orbit above this planet, with the weapon of the Ancients. All you have to do is release the aiming circuits and fire as they lock onto the ship."

Beckett just could not be hearing this correctly; a Wraith was planning to blow a Hive ship out of the sky? _Oh God, I'm strapped into a weapon! And one I'll have no bloody control over._

"My speciality is more the physical side of things you know. I think that your problem is a wee bit more on the mental side there!" he croaked through dry lips.

The Wraith snarled with anger and gripped Beckett's chin between its sharp nails.

"You seek to destroy my kind before we feast on your life-energy and yet you turn down the chance to destroy hundreds of Wraith!"

"Why?" Carson locked eyes with the creature that was drawing blood with its grip on his face. "I need ter know why."

The Wraith threw back its head and began to make a horrible sound. Beckett cringed inwardly as he recognised the sound of Wraith laughter.

"Weak, foolish creature – your enemies are in your grasp, yours to destroy – feel the weapon, it is yours to command!"

"I'm a doctor! I don't take life, I try ter save it – even a Wraith, damn you, even a Wraith." Beckett repeated in a hoarse whisper.

"That is why you are food and we are the Hive." The Wraith released his face and stepped back to confront one of the others who had come forward to the Chair platform.

"We waste time with this Prey," it hissed. "We should have spent our efforts bringing the circuits under our control – we will miss our chance and be discovered!"

"No, the hand of the Hive would be all too easily seen in the repaired circuits. This way all that will be found is traces of Human DNA linked to a weapon of the Ancients. None will suspect our involvement!"

"We are running out of time!"

"His resistance was anticipated, I have planned for it – watch."

The Wraith stepped back in front of Beckett and raised its hands to its head, its face furrowed in concentration.

Beckett felt the device in the back of his neck come to life. There was a feeling of pressure and then…another presence was in his mind. The Wraith had joined with him telepathically. The device was augmenting the Wraith's mental powers beyond mere projection so that it did not have to feed to see into his thoughts. He had seen the Wraith forge a telepathic connection with Teyla but she had suffered a complete possession, clearly unable to remember what had happened afterwards. Carson was still horribly aware of his surroundings. He could feel the alien mind churning within his…it was so alien; its thoughts were dominated by brutal, voracious hunger, a yearning for destruction and conquest. The very opposite of everything that Carson Beckett was.

The Wraith pushed at him with a mental strength that Beckett could not resist. His control of the Ancient technology was as fuzzy as ever and he felt the growing anger of the creature through their link. It pressed at him with increasing force; he found himself seeking the circuits that armed the energy weapon and then bringing the aiming mechanism to life. The fully charged weapon was soon aimed directly at a Wraith Ship, which he could somehow sense was just arriving in orbit thousands of miles above the Ancient base.

Beckett tried to wrestle back control of his mind from the Wraith. His body bucked in the restraints of the Chair, blood running where the straps cut deep into his wrists and neck, but it was no good - the weapon was ready to fire.


	6. The Mountain Of Fire

Black and White

Chapter Six.

Disclaimers as per previous chapters

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"Understood." John Sheppard turned off the console, his face grim. He could not bear to hear the numb and shocked tone in Elizabeth Weir's voice any more. He could only too clearly picture the control room after his terrible news had been received. Atlantis would truly be in mourning now.

He straightened and turned to Teyla who had been watching him, her brows furrowed with concern.

"There is no shortage of volunteers wanting to come through the 'gate and help investigate what happened – especially Dr. Mckay, but I've vetoed that on safety grounds. We'll have a bit more of a root around ourselves.

"Teyla – please _invite_ Tygosi to the 'jumper. If Dex is right he is going to be a tad reluctant to come onto _our_ ground so take the rest of the team. Act _friendly_."

A little while later, Sheppard waited outside the Puddle Jumper as his team approached with Tygosi. There were smiles on everyone's faces and weapons were being held in stand down but the tension in the air was still palpable. A group of villagers were watching them from a distance.

"Chief Tygosi." Sheppard greeted him warmly. "Thank you for agreeing to come to our craft. This is where we are trying to gather all the information about the Wraith attack. You told us that it had been many years since the Wraith had carried off any of your people?"

"I am happy to help you at this time of loss and sorrow," the old man replied. "Yes, it has been many seasons since the evil ones have come– we have been blessed." John noticed that the Chief would not look into his eyes.

"Well, it's just that we have noticed that you _are_ missing many of your people – the young adults, those that the Wraith prefer to take."

"Ah, Dr Beckett's party noticed the same." Tygosi nodded his head. "I explained that it is the time of the Elevos migration – the herds are moving from winter to summer pasture. Our hunters and preservers of food have gone deep into the forests to harvest this bounty."

"You are lying, old man." Ronon growled, the Satedan looking at his most intimidating. "If your people were hunters your feet would be shod with leather not bark that has to be renewed each season. Your clothes," he reached forward lifting a piece of Tygosi's tunic, "would be made of soft hide not tough plant fibre. Your tools, " he held out a handful of broken wooden shards, "would be bone – you are _lying_."

The elder's face crumpled, his eyes flared with terror. Teyla stepped forward.

"On our journeys we have found that people deal with the coming of the Wraith in many different ways." She spoke softly, reassuringly. " Some have a ritual of death to avoid reaching the age at which the Wraith come, some sacrifice those that have committed crimes against their community, others move from place to place seeking a home that may be free of the scourge. And some just have to endure the loss of sons and daughters each generation. But none give their people willingly, help the Wraith to feed!"

Tygosi let out a moan and covered his face with his hands.

"They promised," he whispered, "they promised that they would leave our village alone for many generations if we helped them."

"Who promised?" John Sheppard had moved quickly forward, gripping the chief's wrists so that he had to look into his face.

"The Wraith. The Wraith from the Mountain of Fire. They wanted someone from the City of the Ancients. They said that it would be easier to lure the Healer rather than the Warrior. They said he would not be killed!" Tygosi moaned urgently at the look of anger in Sheppard's face.

John released the man's wrists and stepped back. _Oh Hell! The Wraith know that Atlantis_ _was not destroyed!_ But Beckett and his party may not have been taken for food. They might still be alive – but why? It suddenly came to him as he realised what Tygosi had said. _The Healer rather than the Warrior!_

"The gene," he muttered, "the ATA gene – how did the Wraith know that Beckett and I have got the darned thing? Why do they want him?"

He turned back to Tygosi. "We know that the Wraith are _here,_ on this planet. Where is this Mountain of Fire? Is it a volcano?"

"No." Tygosi replied seeming very relieved that John had not harmed him. "It lies in an area that has seen the ground buckle and burn – we can no longer reach it. But the old tales said it was a place of wonder that could send great beams of light high into the sky to destroy our enemies."

"Damn!" Sheppard swore, that sounded exactly like a high-energy weapon of the Ancients. Weapons and the Wraith never made a good combination.

"Err Sir! Colonel Sheppard?" One of his team who had been processing data within the Puddle Jumper called out. "I'm getting a reading of a rapidly building pulse of energy located to the south of here!"

Sheppard and the others instinctively turned to look southwards towards the mountain range that could be seen lying across the horizon. They were in time to see a huge burst of golden fire erupt vertically from one of the peaks. It streamed high into atmosphere for a few dazzling seconds and was followed by an enormous explosion as something that had been hanging in a low orbit was torn apart by the beam.

John Sheppard stared, his senses numbed by the sight.

_Doc, what has happened to you? _

TBC

AN: Apologies but this will be the last update until about January 4th. I'm in half a dozen places over the next two weeks and none of those are near a keyboard let alone a modem!


	7. The Hive

Black and White.

Chapter Seven

Disclaimers as per previous chapters.

This chapter was written as "The Lost Boys" aired in the UK. Nice to see canon confirming Wraith infighting!

The firing of the weapon from Beckett's POV.

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Carson Beckett was not aware but he was moaning aloud as his mind tried to deal with the onslaught upon it. The human mind is poorly equipped for any telepathic contact not least as brutal and alien a force as this – the vicious, churning presence of the Wraith.

There was also his forced use of the weapon. Beckett had the ancient gene but it did not give him the control that someone such as Sheppard possessed. Using it was a great effort for him, requiring concentration and strength. Currently he was being pushed beyond all the limits that he had previously encountered and it _hurt._

The weapon was now fully powered. He could feel it. He had enabled the arming and aiming mechanisms to lock onto a target. For a moment the Wraith leader released the pressure that it had held him under and Carson mentally and physically sagged in the Chair.

He was dimly aware of the Wraith communicating with each other.

"We are ready?" The leader turned and grinned at his circle of followers. They all reported what their consoles were telling them, what Beckett could feel through his connection to the Weapon.

"Let our revenge commence. I will pay a visit to our unknowing victims and show them the extent of their dishonour!"

Carson felt the Wraith return to his mind – he could not free himself from its thoughts that pulled so strongly at his. In laboratory conditions being able to see into the mind of a Wraith would be so invaluable but the reality was so awful that it was all Carson could do to hold onto his sanity.

He now seemed to find himself in a different place, somewhere with dark corridors where many Wraith were walking past him as though he could not be seen. Beckett struggled to understand – was he seeing a Hive ship through the eyes of a Wraith? This vision certainly seemed to tie in with Teyla's description of her telepathic joining with them. The Hive mind was around him, he could hear and see and feel hundreds of the creatures. Feel the hunger that drove one towards the storage pods where thousands of human beings were encased, trapped alive and in a state of utmost terror. This ship had been culling planet after planet, stocking its holds with food, the instinctive response to their reawakening. Carson was learning this involuntarily as the Wraith in control of his mind swept through the ship looking for one mind in particular.

It was a Hive queen. Carson felt her surprise as she recognised the mental signature of the Wraith that was linked with Beckett.

"You are alive …and your fellows! It was your beacon that has been responded to? I had not thought any survived from that ship." The mind voice was cold, imperial.

The leader of the planet Wraith responded with anger and bitterness. "Some of us survived the debacle that was the assault upon the Ancient city. Survived your foolish strategy that lost the new feeding grounds seemingly for ever. Our Hive ship destroyed, we have joined with another… …no you are not aware of our location for good reason. We have discovered that the route to the new galaxy still exists but it has been determined that you are a liability in reaching that goal. Atlantis was not the first time that you have been responsible for losing a chance to destroy our enemies."

Carson seemed to see memories then of a battle far away in time and space when the Wraith had suffered a setback in their struggle with the Ancients.

"You will not jeopardise our new plans…indeed you will not live beyond the next few moments.

"It has been determined that you are not worthy to face an end at the hands of fellow Wraith. Your destruction shall be by the hand of the Ancients – their weapons and their descendants!"

The Wraith leader allowed the Queen to "see" Carson and the existence of the weapon on the planet thousands of miles below.

Even as he felt the Queen react with horror, calling for ship shields and defensive action, Beckett found himself mentally back in the Chair, aware again of the control chamber around him. The Wraith, still standing in front of him, pushed savagely at Beckett's mind – urging him to fire the energy weapon. He resisted desperately – the orbiting Hive ship did not just hold Wraith in their hundreds but thousands of captured humans. He must not kill them…could not…it was unbearable.

But he did.

The energy surge of the weapon firing shook the whole base for many long seconds. All the Wraith in the control chamber were using their telepathic abilities to listen to the burning death of the Hive that that they had condemned and were howling in triumph. Horror gripped Carson, he could feel them dying through the link – it was all too much - he felt himself greying out into blissful unconsciousness.

TBC

AN: Och will she ever let the poor wee lad out of that Chair! Not yet – still got some whumping to do.


	8. Deja Vu

Black and White.

Chapter Eight.

Disclaimers as per previous chapters.

AN: I have decided that this story takes place prior to the SGA episode _Trinity_ as I just do not think that Rodney would be so keen on Ancient energy weapons afterwards!

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"Are you sure that you recorded this data correctly?"

Rodney McKay munched a power bar while standing at the back hatch of the Puddle Jumper, gazing towards the distant mountains where the firing had taken place. Behind him, in the 'jumper, two of his fellow scientists passed a silent glance between them which eloquently conveyed their feelings about how the CSO was questioning their competence… again.

"I should have been here. I wish I could have seen it! Whatever it hit was completely obliterated – there are readings of fragments only. Where is 'jumper Two, I want some remains!"

John Sheppard was sitting on a nearby rock, ostensibly checking over his P90, and actually watching Rodney get excited over, what appeared to be, a new Ancient weapon. He was inwardly seething at this lack of activity but knew the need for the scientists to investigate what had happened. After the weapon had fired there had been a tactical retreat back through the Stargate, followed by a heated discussion as to what should be done in the face of an apparent confrontation between two sets of unknowns. _Too many unknowns, _Sheppard had thought. And the result was a beefed up military team plus scientists to work out what they were up against. They had returned as the sun rose over the distant mountain range and John had been struggling to contain his restlessness as the others worked.

Rodney's earpiece crackled, it was 'jumper Two.

"Doctor McKay, we have recovered a few fragments that survived atmospheric descent. Scans are confirming them as Wraith technology – it was large vessel, sir – possibly a Hive ship."

Rodney whistled and conveyed the information to the others.

"A Hive Ship?" John Sheppard was amazed. "What is going on here? I thought the Wraith were involved in firing the weapon – why destroy other Wraith? Aren't they going to act like insects or something, you know, bees all working together?"

"Even a bees' nest will descend into anarchy when there is competition over food or succession." Rodney said thoughtfully. "It's beginning to look like we've got a major power source here and a working weapon that has survived these millennia. Assuming that Beckett has activated it – we've got ourselves a major kill. Way to go Carson, I didn't think you had it in you!"

"He doesn't." Sheppard muttered. "Carson would never have done this voluntarily. You know that."

The smile faded from Rodney McKay's face. Yes, he did know.

"Have we gathered all the data that we can from this location?" Sheppard enquired, ignoring Rodney's look of dismay.

"Just processing the last scan." Rodney spoke reluctantly.

"Good, in that case I will arrange an aerial rendezvous with 'jumper Two and we'll head for the mountains." John rose and stretched his stiff limbs.

"Wait, wait a minute – that place appears to be the site of an energy weapon, possibly some defensive outpost – it might be defended with other weapons apart from the main beam."

"That's a calculated risk we have got to take Rodney, if we are going to retrieve our people. Remember Atlantis was down to just a few dozen drones when we found her – it's most likely that this much smaller installation is completely depleted. But I'm going anyway – you coming?"

John shouldered his P90 and signalled to Ronon and Teyla, who had been watching the clearing where the Puddle Jumper had parked. He walked past Rodney onto the 'jumper.

A range of emotions flitted across Rodney's expressive face but finally with a muttered curse he tossed the scrunched up bar wrapper onto the ground and followed John onto the Puddle Jumper.

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Carson was drifting. It was a comfortable place; if he stayed here he was removed from the pain. He could document too well what was wrong with him. The lacerations on his wrists, neck and forehead were throbbing. The site of the telepathic device added another ache which seemed to blend with a nausea inducing headache. He knew that his body was parched with thirst, his throat swollen. Blood sugar levels were low from lack of food _and a nice shower and trip to the bathroom would'na go amiss. _But if he stayed in this grey place it all faded into the background, along with the memory of the dying Hive Ship.

Unfortunately, every now and then he found himself conscious and back in the control chamber, still trapped in the Chair. Nothing nice was happening there.

He opened his eyes. "Arguing" Wraith was standing before the leader, speaking angrily. "We must leave immediately as soon as we have hidden the traces of our presence."

"There is no need." The other returned calmly. "The beacon is now broadcasting as that of the Hive ship, continuing the pretence that all is well. We have time at our leisure. I wish you all to feed – your hunger is _irritating_." He was speaking to all the other Wraith.

"Then we will make arrangements to leave and rejoin our ship. When we carry our knowledge that the Ancient City was not destroyed back to the Hive, all honour will be ours. It will initiate a journey back to the planet of the hidden Ancient city to gain access to the Stargate."

"Will you join us in feeding?"

"No, I wish to take advantage of this situation to examine the Ancient technology that is here. It is rare to get access such as this," The leader of the Wraith was looking at Carson as he spoke, his face breaking into a meaningful grin, "and then I shall feed!"

Beckett's thoughts were fuzzy, he was almost beyond terror – there had been heated discussion back in Atlantis as to whether the Wraith fed on the psychic energy that fear of them engendered, in which case this one was having a feast.

He opened his eyes again. He must have lapsed back into unconsciousness but something had awoken him. The noise began again – it was screaming. Human screams – a young woman's voice echoing from one of the corridors nearby. _Alice! God no! _The pain of it lanced through him as the screams died away. Another voice began to cry out – a man – the Wraith were feeding and Carson had to listen.

It seemed interminable and Carson longed to slip away again, to die – anything that wasn't listening to his team being murdered. Suddenly a cold taloned hand gripped his face forcing him to look into the eyes of the leader of the Wraith, who seemed to be taking pleasure from the sounds.

"To think what a prize I have discovered on this volcanic mud ball." he hissed. "We came here to check on the health of a herd prior to culling and discover that the Ancient City had made contact, that it and its inhabitants had not been destroyed. I had seen the scans taken of the City and knew that some of the new humans possessed the ability to use the technology. We also knew of the existence of this weapon, had done so for millennia and that it might still be functional, but had no way to use it. This meant that the weapon could be operated if I worked out a way to lure you here. It was too easy. And now we will take your City and open the way to the new feeding grounds.

"I had to seize this opportunity – it is hard to join with another Hive, to regain the position of power that was once held – the success of this plan – the destruction of a competitive sister ship and the knowledge of the new feeding grounds will ensure my return to _power_."

_Note to self,_ Carson thought with weary despair, _remember to tell no one about the existence of Atlantis even if they are very friendly and put garlands of flowers around your neck._

The Wraith were going to take Atlantis and then Earth and he could not tell anyone, couldn't even move.

"And now you are going to take me on a little tour of the systems here. I have a priceless chance to see the Ancient device through your mind." The grip on his face was removed. Beckett closed his eyes and tried to steel himself for the mental invasion that he was not going to be able to prevent, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see the Wraith frowning and looking at the consoles across the control room. Carson not been aware of it, but an alarm had begun to sound. Presumably summoned by the leader, the other Wraith appeared from a nearby corridor and hurriedly resumed their stations.

"What is it?" The leader demanded.

"There are two craft approaching by air. They are not our ships."

"What terrestrial defences remain in this place?"

"Drones – but only a couple."

"We only _need_ a couple. Let them get nearer, to be certain of their destruction."

Beckett could not help himself; he pulled at the straps even though they sent spikes of pain through him, where they had cut deeply into his skin. He knew, _Oh God! _He_ knew_ who would be on those craft. Sheppard, Teyla, Dex and Rodney. The Wraith would force him to fire the Drones. He was going to kill his friends.

TBC


	9. Self Destruct

Black and White.

Chapter Nine.

AN: Apologies for slow update no writing time! To those of you who celebrate it – have a good Burn's Night.

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_Beckett could not help himself; he pulled at the straps even though they sent spikes of pain through him, where they had cut deeply into his skin. He knew, Oh God! He knew who would be on those craft. Sheppard, Teyla, Dex and Rodney. The Wraith would force him to fire the Drones. He was going to kill his friends._

Carson sagged back panting, the pain was too much. He had to do something but what? The Wraith were concentrating on the consoles. He was free of their control for maybe just moments. It would have to be enough.

He had no choice; he had to use the Chair. It was an interface linked to the Ancient technology. Someone like John Sheppard could use it to access systems with ease – even he had managed to do it himself a couple of times, but it had required guidance from someone who had known what they had wanted the technology to do. Could he possibly do this himself and what _could_ he do?

Beckett concentrated, as hard as he could, although he was very aware that the toll of the last few hours had drained his strength. And found something - a self-destruct mechanism. He could "see" how to arm it and set it off. Unlike the one in Atlantis it could be activated by the Chair controller presumably to enable the small defence base to operate down to the last defender.

It would destroy everything – the entire installation and all that it contained. He knew that he was a dead man whatever happened. Once the Wraith had finished here, it was clear that the leader would take great pleasure in reducing him to a husk. His team were dead – those terrible screams could have meant nothing else. And to tell the truth, after what he had just done - to _live _with that, to remember how it had felt, as the inhabitants of the ship had died their fiery death, he wasn't sure that he wanted to.

All he had to do was push with his mind, _there,_ and the self-destruct would start to count down. A sudden memory of the self-destruct alarm sounding through Atlantis came to his mind from the dreadful time of the Wraith siege. The last time he had heard that awful sound he had been on the verge of taking off in a Puddle Jumper armed with a nuclear bomb. He had never thought to feel that fear again. He pushed the thought aside; this situation was just as desperate. How would the Wraith here react if something similar went off? Would they have time to prevent the self-destruct working? How long would he have?

He was dimly aware of the Wraith communicating about the approaching craft – the device in his neck was leaking the thoughts of the leader of the Wraith into his mind, even as he tried to concentrate on the Ancient technology. They were close – they were _too_ close. The explosion set off by the self-destruct would be too powerful; it would catch the Puddle Jumpers within the blast radius.

Beckett felt total despair – he would have to try something else but what?

He pictured Rodney McKay standing before him, amused at the fact that Beckett could not escape the Chair this time, giving him one of his so impatient "Carson I _know_ you can do this." lectures. He was sure that Rodney was on one of the flying craft and moments from death at his hands. He concentrated fiercely.

Perhaps he could picture this machine in his mind almost like a body. The energy from the power source, which he could feel was one of the elusive ZPM's, flowed via conduits throughout the complex. If he reversed that flow, like heart valves being inverted, the energy backlash might destroy the heart of the outpost. He pushed with his mind; it was so very hard to do as he felt on the verge of blacking out again. He felt the flow of energy change.

Suddenly his concentration was shattered by the intrusion of the alien mind of the Wraith – the leader was demanding that he target the Drones. It was a violent mental assault as the creature was anticipating that Beckett would resist. To the Wraith's surprise Carson allowed the weapons system to search and lock. Through the Chair he could feel the energy building in the conduits of the outpost and sought to buy some more time. Then the power surge obviously registered on one of the consoles within the control chamber. Suddenly the leader of the Wraith was running towards the Chair platform, his face a mask of fierce anger. But he did not reach it. A column of shimmering energy rose around the edge of the platform, cutting it off from the room. The Wraith impacted against it and was thrown to the ground.

The mental assault that followed was pure anguish to Carson's battered mind. The Wraith was sure that he had raised the barrier and tried to get him to take it down. But he could not. It was not of his doing. He could only guess that it must be a defence mechanism that had triggered as the energy build up had started to damage internal systems. A shield which would allow the weapon to operate right down to the last defender – the person in the Chair.

Beckett looked at the force-field that shimmered all about him, almost dispassionately. Would it be strong enough to withstand the impending destruction? He could only think that it would be the greatest irony if the Chair that he hated now saved his life.

But it seemed that it was not to be. At that moment the energy feedback reached the damaged Chair. Agony ripped through Beckett's mind and then pulsed through his body – every cell seemed to be on fire.

Carson Beckett screamed and the control room exploded around him.

TBC


	10. Grim Discovery

Black and White.

Chapter Ten

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. It has been overwhelming to receive so many reviews. I have not replied individually but tried to respond by updating as quickly as possible. Chapter Eleven will follow in a couple of days.

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"Sometime today would be good, McKay."

Rodney straightened slowly from where he had been crouched over his laptop, throwing a thin lipped glance of annoyance in John's direction.

"I know that we are in the right location," he exclaimed petulantly. "If _someone_ had not been in such a hurry, I would have had time to calibrate everything correctly instead of having to leave it to someone less competent. The entrance _is_ here but ten thousand years of volcanic activity isn't helping."

John was sitting on a rock again, feeling as though he was becoming a bit _igneous_ himself. Not being too greatly informed on volcanic geomorphology he could only express his irritation at their lack of progress by either glaring at Rodney or the side of the mountain that the energy readings had led them to. The Ancients had outdone themselves with this outpost. It blended perfectly into the chain of mountains, among which it had been built, and the occasional eruption of real neighbouring volcanos had enhanced its natural appearance.

Rodney had chosen the western side of the false mountain to search for an entrance, displaying his usual level of confidence in his abilities. It had turned out that the Chief Scientist, among his many projects, had been trying to locate just such an ancient weapon outpost and was using schematics scanned from other worlds to determine the way in. If the Wraith had found it – he was sure that he could.

A sudden thud made both John and Rodney start. Ronon had finally given into his frustration and kicked the mountain. The tall Satedan gave them an apologetic shrug and continued his restless pacing.

They were all very jumpy. John acknowledged that he was himself. This was hardly surprising, due to the events of a couple of hours before. The two Puddle Jumpers had nearly reached the location of the "Mountain of Fire" when both craft had gone into automatic evasive action.

"_Oh God_ – there's a targeting lock." Rodney had yelled at John from the co-pilots seat as the 'jumper threw itself into a deep dive, everyone holding on for dear life.

John had prepared himself to compensate and evade whatever was coming, when Rodney had reported that the lock had suddenly dispersed. This had been followed by an energy pulse registering from the peak ahead but nothing had visibly shown on the surface. The two Puddle Jumpers had circled for a little while before deciding to land.

The 'jumpers had parked in two different locations to find a way in, according to the possibilities indicated by Rodney's schematics, and since then, apart from watching Rodney getting increasingly worked up, little else had taken place.

"Doctor Mckay, Colonel Sheppard." Teyla's voice came to them from a little way along the cliff face. "I believe that I have found something." They quickly joined the lithe Athosian, where she was staring at a section of the rock wall. Dex had run ahead of them and was holding his weapons in readiness.

"There is a shield … I think, just here." She reached forward, her hand vanishing into a revealed shimmering force field. And then she strode confidently forward despite Rodney's warning cry. The field flickered and dispersed, revealing a round entrance, a long dark tunnel beyond.

Teyla turned smiling. "It was like the shield I encountered before … a device of the Wraith."

"Yes, of course," Rodney muttered, "a Wraith shield, not Ancient. Damn!"

"Not your fault, Mckay." Sheppard threw him a lazy smile. "We're all a little shook up. Now let's call up some armed support and get in there."

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Rodney would have described the style of the structure that they were moving through as Utilitarian Ancient. It had been built in a hurry and with a sole purpose in mind.

He was in the middle of the party advancing cautiously yet swiftly up yet another tunnel in this complex. Ronon and Teyla were on point, Sheppard alongside him and two marines were bringing up the rear.

The lights mounted on their guns provided the only illumination. Rodney was uncomfortably aware of how far they had come from the entrance. Reaching the surface, if they ran into a large number of hostile Wraith, would not be easy. He was also aware, as they penetrated further in, that the air was becoming tainted with an acrid tang. There was a smell of burning machinery and smoke that was becoming steadily stronger. John had already reached across to pat the pocket on Rodney's jacket where the air filter mask was stored to remind him of its location.

They reached a cross section in the tunnel and Ronon at the front hissed them all to stillness. After a moments hesitation he turned left, indicating that they could follow and Rodney, through the beam of his torch, saw a most unwelcome sight. The tunnel ahead was lined on one side with the organic webbing that indicated Wraith storage pods.

Ronon and Teyla had reached the first one and halted – dismay on both their faces. Sheppard and Rodney advanced swiftly to their side. Rodney drew in a breath. In the pod was trapped the husk of a man, withered skin tight across the skull, a wraith feeding mark burned across its caved in chest. The uniform left no doubt – it was one of John's men. The height of the body and the skin tone told him he was looking at the mortal remains of Petersen.

"Damn." Rodney heard John murmur; this was the worst case scenario. Rodney felt nauseous, his stomach tight with fear at what the other pods might hold – there had to be several dozen of them.

Teyla swung up her gun to shine her light upon the next pod – another corpse, a German flag patch still visible upon the shoulder of the Atlantean uniform – they had found Heinrik.

The next – this time it was obviously a woman. Alice Carstairs' face looked unmarked – she almost looked as though she were merely sleeping, nestled in the webbing. Rodney reached out to touch the still face of one of _his_ people. He started back in surprise as her eyes shot open and she began to scream incoherently. She started struggling frantically against her bonds, her eyes not seeing him at all.

"Shhhhhhh! No, no, no, no!" Rodney tried frantically to stop her cries, his hands flapping, gun falling to the floor. He was horribly aware that if there were Wraith nearby they would hear this. Ronon had crouched, his P90 pointing up the dark tunnel, glancing back at them with a face tight with urgency.

John suddenly lunged past Rodney, a hypodermic in his hand, injecting Alice swiftly in the side of her neck. Her cries quickly faded into soft moans.

"Rodney!" John's voice cut through his rising panic. "Help me cut her free. Teyla hold your light steady."

"You drugged her." Rodney almost squeaked. His horror of needles rising up.

"Yep – had to do it. Here we go. " Sheppard eased the unconscious woman's body onto the floor of the tunnel, quickly clearing the remnants of the webbing and checking her for injuries. Satisfied that there were none, John called up the two marines, from where they were guarding the cross tunnel, and gave Alice into their care to be taken back to the Puddle Jumper.

Rodney did not want to look at the next pod but Teyla swung up her light. The husk of a man met his gaze but,_ Thank God, _it was too small, the body shape, the skin tone was that of one of the Gulathais. It was not Carson. Rodney would never have believed that he would be pleased to see someone dead. He drew in a shuddering breath.

The line of pods stretched further up the tunnel, each one containing a grim discovery but there was no sign of Beckett. All the other victims were from the village. They found two more young women alive but unresponsive and cut them from the pods to lie on the tunnel floor, hoping to retrieve them later.

"The Wraith were hungry," was Ronon's reply to John's question as to how some of their victims had survived. "They took the biggest and strongest to sate their hunger – it sometimes happens that way."

"And where's Beckett?" Rodney queried. "Why wasn't he here?"

John Sheppard looked at Mckay, his face grim. "I guess they had something else in mind for the doc."

The depleted party continued up the tunnel, their thoughts bleak, hope fading that they would find their friend alive. The smell of smoke was growing stronger.

TBC


	11. The Chamber

Black and White.

Chapter Eleven

Disclaimers as per previous chapters.

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They had the face masks on now. Fortunately the tunnels were high and arched so that most of the smoke hung above their heads, but the lights on the P90's were just cutting narrow beams through the haze. There was very little visibility and several times Rodney had lost sight of Ronon. His nervousness had increased and he had had to stop himself calling to Teyla, to ask yet again, whether she sensed Wraith ahead. He wasn't finding the fact that she couldn't very reassuring.

Then he almost walked straight into her. Teyla had stopped at Ronon's shoulder; the Satedan was crouched, aiming his weapons into a dark void ahead. Rodney realised that beyond them the tunnel ended, opening out into a large chamber. The beams of the P90's were actually showing a higher level of visibility, even though this place seemed to be the source of the acrid smoke, which was rising from the floor and sides of the room and spiralling up into a high roof of unseen height.

Dex murmured an all clear – there was nothing moving out there, and the four members of the team spread out across the room, moving cautiously in the darkness. Rodney was excited, this _had_ to be the control room of the weapon complex, and it was in exactly the location that he had predicted. Immediately he almost went flying as he tripped on something on the floor. A few colourful curses accompanied the aim of his gun as he swept the beam down. The floor was covered with debris, broken and twisted pieces of machinery and panels lay everywhere.

"Oh that's just great! Ten thousand years a _working _beam weapon has been waiting here and when I actually get my hands on it – it's been truly fracked. The power source won't have survived this – it might have been a ZPM. _Damn_!" Rodney seethed with frustration as his light revealed the damage.

He decided to move towards a panel of consoles that looked less damaged than the rest, wincing slightly as each footfall crunched and squelched on priceless Ancient technology. _Squelched? _Rodney stepped back and gave a slight whimper as he realised that he had just stepped on a Wraith. A very dead Wraith, One part of the scientist's keen brain started calculating the force of the explosion required to inflict this much damage on a one of the toughest life forms that humankind had ever encountered, another part was deciding that sushi was not a good look for a Wraith.

He almost jumped out of his skin as a weapon discharged almost next to him, appallingly loud in the confined space.

"Will you stop that." he yelled at Dex, who he could see was standing over the body of another Wraith.

Ronon looked at him unapologetically. The former runner had spent too long on his own, too little time with his new comrades to trust that a Wraith could be killed by any other person or thing other than his own weapons and was making sure. Rodney, realising this, decided to leave Dex to his dead Wraith hunt and looked to see where the others were.

He could see Teyla and Sheppard's lights in the centre of the chamber and his own beam revealed their location to finally be a cause for some optimism. A Chair platform. Those things seemed to survive everything for some reason and perhaps something was salvageable. He made his way towards it.

"Rodney, get over here, we need your light." John's voice was tight with strain.

Rodney picked his way through the debris and noticed with great interest that the debris field stopped at the edge of the Chair platform. The platform was completely unmarked and clear of wreckage. S_hielded?_ Was his first thought.

"Rodney! Light." John's voice cut through his musing. Rodney swung up his light and almost dropped it again. They had found Carson.

"Oh God." Rodney whispered. His friend lay absolutely still in the un-powered Chair. His skin was waxen, lips bloodless. Rodney could not tell if Beckett was actually breathing, his eyes were closed, lashes dark against the pale skin.

But the most appalling thing were the straps. Carson had clearly fought hard against them and Rodney's aversion to blood was making him feel faint. Beckett had been _tied_ into the Chair, a fact that made Rodney's stomach lurch for a number of reasons. One of which was that it reminded him all too clearly of the number of times that he had literally dragged the reluctant physician to the Atlantean Chair room to see if the latest attempt to connect a power source and initialise the Chair had been successful. He had sworn then that if it would be necessary to tie Carson to the Chair that he would do so.

"I never meant …" He stuttered.

"Ssssh, Rodney." Sheppard was leaning across Carson's body trying to find a pulse point on his neck, and struggling because of the neck strap and the damage that it had caused. His fingers were becoming slick with blood. John sighed with relief. "I've got a pulse but it's very weak."

Sheppard stepped back and looked at the tangle of metal, illuminated by the steady beam of Teyla's light.

"Someone find something to cut these straps with." John spoke on a rising shout.

Ronon loomed silently out of the darkness next to John and handed him a serrated knife that looked quite capable of cutting through any metal.

"Brace the straps will you? I don't want to cause any more damage while I cut them."

The knife made short work of the bindings but it still had to have jarred the cuts. Rodney was disturbed by the fact that the doctor did not show the slightest flicker of awareness at the increase in pain. John quickly felt over Beckett's body trying to assess his injuries without moving him.

"Teyla can you pass me the field kit – going to need the dressings. I think he's lost a lot of blood – got some bad cuts. I can't see any shrapnel injuries, though how the hell he survived this," John threw a glance across the wrecked control chamber, "is beyond me!"

John worked quickly, assisted by Teyla; while Rodney held his light as steady as he could. "What were the Wraith up to?" John murmured. "He's even got something buried in his neck. We'll have to leave that and try and get him back to Atlantis as fast as possible."

"I can carry him." Ronon asserted.

"Are you sure? He's heavy!"

"It would be the quickest way. I owe him this." Dex stepped forward to take Carson in his arms. They all knew that this was not the way to move an injured person; Carson himself would have thrown a fit, but the situation was too urgent and the Puddle Jumper too far away.

Teyla went on point at the exit of the room. Rodney lingered, looking round the wreckage – he knew that he would have to return to examine this place to find out what had happened here, but he didn't think he could face doing that until the dead Wraith had been removed. He fancied that the place now smelt of death. He caught up to John who was lighting Ronon's path through the debris. Carson looked too limp in his arms. Had they been in time?

John was obviously thinking the same thing as he murmured. "Hold on Doc – we're going to take you home."

TBC


	12. Return to Atlantis

Black and White.

Chapter Twelve.

AN: As TPTB are so poor at choosing names for secondary characters in Atlantis (Chuck the Gate Technician for example) it's my turn to play pick a medic so I've naturally chosen the one with the UK arm patch from _Conversion_ and _The Long Goodbye._

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Dr Elizabeth Weir slowed as she reached the entrance to the infirmary. It was an uncharacteristic hesitation…but. She knew that she was not responsible for what had happened to Carson Beckett and his team; she could argue that point clearly with herself. But. She had asked, no persuaded him to go. She had been pushing all the teams hard and had decided to send just a skeleton team with Beckett. She had also wanted him to become as used to 'gate travel as anyone living in Atlantis. Finally, she had thought he could do with a break, a bit of time off base…a bit of _fun. _And he had looked dead when he had been brought off the returning Puddle Jumper.

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As the Stargate alarm had sounded, Elizabeth had stepped onto the balcony outside her office in time to see the first Puddle Jumper burst through the 'gate. It had settled immediately to the floor of the Gate Room instead of heading for the 'jumper bay. The medical teams were already waiting.

First off had been Alice Carstairs. She had been unconscious but the lack of medical intervention had been a hopeful sign to Elizabeth's eyes. Then Carson. The medical team on standby had gone onto the Puddle Jumper and she had waited five minutes for the gurney to appear. He was rushed off, his staff were going frantic. She had hoped that it was just an expression of their anxiety after waiting several days for the return of their CMO, who was probably the most popular head of staff on Atlantis, but they had felt the need to rig oxygen and IV's in the 'jumper and their haste seemed real. He had looked dreadful.

Then the rest of the rescue team had stepped off the Puddle Jumper, carrying equipment and shrugging off the waiting medical staff. There were two more gurneys waiting but John Sheppard had looked up at Elizabeth as she stood on the balcony and slowly shook his head, regret etched across his face. Her stomach had lurched – they had lost two more. It was little more than a year since she had led this expedition to investigate the wonders and research possibilities of the distant galaxy and even after all that had happened it still seemed wrong to be losing people.

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She drew herself up slightly and entered the infirmary. There were two curtained off cubicles. As she neared the first she could hear voices. A woman's voice rose with a ragged edge of hysteria.

"They will come and we will all die. They suck the life out of your bones –slowly- you can see it, feel it. We will all be ash and dust."

"Alice, you are back in Atlantis. You are safe." The calm soothing tones of Kate Heightmeyer's voice cut across the frantic words.

"Nowhere is safe. They've been here before – they will come again. There is no escape."

Elizabeth stared at the curtains listening to Heightmeyer's soothing reassurances. It was quite possible that the Wraith were already on their way to Atlantis. She wondered if she would be as good as Kate in persuading Alice that there was no possible threat. She started slightly at a gentle touch on her arm and turned to see Yvette Cooper, the English doctor on Atlantis, who gave her a smile that did not reach her eyes and who was holding Carson's notes in her hands. She had obviously come from the direction of Carson's office which felt so very wrong.

"You have come to see Dr Beckett and Dr Carstairs?" She queried in a soft lilting English accent.

"I'm sorry I was not able to come sooner. I was not aware of Alice's condition. As you are aware Atlantis is in a state of alert over its possible rediscovery by the Wraith." Elizabeth was summarising a frantic few hours. She had also been involved in discussions with the Gulathais. A_nd heading off a few requests for reprisal. How can I blame a community for endangering others to protect itself? We have done it too many times ourselves._

"That's not a problem Dr Weir. I think we must have had most of the base coming to the infirmary on some pretext or other. I was not really aware of how many of them Dr Beckett has had to treat while we have been here. The rescue team have all dropped by to check on him – they've been haunting the place. We had to throw out Dr Mckay; he was complaining that none of us knew what we were doing. I'm beginning to think he was right." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at that remark but followed the doctor up the ward.

Dr Cooper preceded her to the bed where Carson was lying. As could be expected the doctor was surrounded by softly beeping monitors; wires, tubes and IV lines snaked across his body. His face was drawn and pale, what she could see of it, as he was heavily bandaged at his neck and forehead. His chin was scruffy with the beginning of a beard which was not hiding what appeared to be healing talon marks on his face. Elizabeth watched his steady but shallow breathing and prepared herself for Cooper's report.

Dr Cooper spoke. "We have repaired some physical injuries – there were extensive lacerations especially on his wrists and neck, which have resulted in some blood loss. There is an unknown device attached to his central nervous system at the base of his skull, which we have left in place for the time being as we are unsure of what will happen if it is removed. He was dehydrated, weak and quite shocky. In addition there's a slight heart arrhythmia, whose cause we have not yet been able to determine, and he suffered from smoke inhalation which was fortunately minor. But the main problem is that he has not shown any sign of consciousness and to be honest we are not quite sure of what we are dealing with here. This end of the Universe continues to throw up unique problems and the person best equipped to work out how to counter them is lying here in a coma. We are in effect providing full support to Dr Beckett's body and waiting to see whether he will survive this trauma."

Elizabeth's face creased with concern. That did not sound very good. She thought of Sheppard's description of how Carson had been found. The damage to the control room, which he seemed to have survived. But how had he been affected – they simply would not know until he woke _if_ he woke. The biochemistry work-ups that the medic was showing her just seemed to indicate extreme stress and its aftermath, the physical symptoms almost hinted at a form of electrocution. Once more they were dealing with the unknown.

"Come on, Carson," she murmured. She was aware of the cliché but for once it was so appropriate, _Physician heal thyself._

She settled into a chair at Carson's side. She could clear space for a vigil. She took up a pale cold hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze, careful not to jostle the IV lines. And began her watch.

TBC


End file.
